CK I love new year’s eve! I know I’m odd because most people really don’t like it but I think it’s a very special night, very poignant. As a result, I love to go out on NYE and celebrate with friends and family and this year, there’s a really special party happening right on the High Street on 31 December.
If you think of “The Great Gatsby”, what springs to mind? Decadence, luxury, yep Leonardo de Caprio, intrigue, 1920s, art deco … yes you’ve guessed it, the venue for this sumptuous evening of revelry is one of the most recent additions to the High Street: Verdigris. The folks behind the black and white bar and restaurant invited me in last week to have a chat, hear about the menu from chef Scott Goss and reveal their plans for new year’s eve.
Tonbridge’s latest addition to the High Street is flourishing and is thrilled that so many of us have already visited this beautiful art deco setting, right on the river to try their impressive molecular cocktails, great wine list and fantastic service.
photo courtesy of @wildponysocial
Chef Scott Goss has taken residence and, the doors to the restaurant are open! When we chat it’s hard for Scott to define his new menu and it’s clear to see that the creative juices are really flowing in the Verdigris kitchen. His signature style will continue, he tells me, serving “food you crave” but with a modern twist, traditional favourites delivered in an unexpected way. It’ll be accessible – so no menus peppered with foodie jargon – and fun – “fun fine dining” is how Scott puts it.
Scott tells me that the next bit is a given these days, but to confirm, dishes will consist of quality produce, responsibly sourced seasonally and as locally as possible. And local is a theme running right through Verdigris. The project to reinvigorate this prime Tonbridge spot has been initiated and fulfilled by a group of ten local people (you can see their painted portraits by Tonbridge artist Shannon Molver behind the bar @sjmolverart), people who are familiar with the town and have known, and frequented, this building in many of its recent incarnations. We discuss that the venue will become a destination for foodies from near and far but the Verdigris team want to encourage local patronage too. Hence their new year’s eve party.
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“Men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings, and the champagne and the stars.”
See 2018 out in style! The party is going to have a whisper of “The Great Gatsby” about it with a Verdigris stamp – there won’t be fancy dress but the theme will be ‘black and white’. There’ll be a welcome drink on arrival and delicious canapes during the evening, prepared by Scott, as well as a DJ, of course. They secretively disclose that there will be some surprises throughout the night but they will reveal no more. Tickets have a 1920s price tag of £20 and are available at the bar or online. I think it’s going to be a fantastic night, right at the heart of Tonbridge!
Verdigris is a welcome addition to Tonbridge High Street and it’s a real coup for us to have a chef of Scott’s calibre. Enjoy a date night there, take your friends, indulge in a special Sunday roast with the family – show your welcome by supporting Scott and the team at Verdigris as they embark upon their new adventure.
